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The industrialised slaughter of millions of animals every day brings immeasurable suffering and the Government has a moral responsibility to address the many severe welfare problems caused by slaughter. As you know, the Farm Animal Welfare Council recently studied this issue and I urge you to implement the following changes which they recommended.

A ban on the stunning of animals with carbon dioxide gas
Scientific research has shown that pigs squeal, hyperventilate and try to escape for up to 30 seconds.

A ban on the killing of conscious animals
Under a special legal exemption, animals killed for halal or kosher meat do not have to be stunned at all and are knifed whilst conscious. Although 93% of animals slaughtered for halal meat in Britain are now pre-stunned, no legislative action has been taken to ban this cruelty.

A ban on piece work payment
The Farm Animal Welfare Council says that paying workers according to the number of animals killed in a day is not in the interests of the individual animal.

Close supervision of stunning and an introduction of maximum stun to knife times.
Each year, tens of millions regain consciousness as they bleed to death. This huge and unacceptable toll of suffering is primarily caused by long stun-to-stick interval and, the inaccurate and brief placement of electric tongs.